US Envoy Meets Palestinian Official, Netanyahu Ahead of Gaza Visit
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met with senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official Hussein al-Sheikh in Riyadh on Tuesday as part of diplomatic efforts to strengthen the Gaza ceasefire and explore the possibility of Israeli-Saudi normalization. The meeting was arranged by Saudi officials as part of a broader push to establish a political framework for stability in the region.
Al-Sheikh, a close advisor to PA President Mahmoud Abbas and considered a potential successor, has been engaged in behind-the-scenes negotiations with key international players. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government remains strongly opposed to any arrangement that includes a future Palestinian state, creating a major obstacle to diplomatic progress.
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Witkoff is set to meet Netanyahu in Israel before traveling to Gaza, where he will inspect the Netzarim Corridor and participate in discussions with Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Israel Katz and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. The primary focus of these talks is the next phase of the ceasefire and negotiations surrounding hostage exchanges between Israel and Hamas. Qatar, a key mediator in the truce, has also expressed readiness to facilitate further dialogue.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu has been invited to the White House to meet President Donald Trump on February 4, marking the first visit by a foreign leader since the president’s return to office. Trump has claimed credit for brokering the initial ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, arguing that his reelection victory was instrumental in securing the agreement.
The ongoing ceasefire has provided temporary relief to Gaza’s war-stricken population, with thousands of displaced Palestinians returning to northern Gaza. However, Israel’s air and ground campaign, launched in response to Hamas’s October 7 attack that killed approximately 1,200 people, has resulted in over 47,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Trump has also proposed relocating Palestinian civilians from Gaza to neighboring countries, an idea swiftly rejected by Egypt, Jordan, Hamas, and the PA.
